An implementation of a technology, described herein, for multiple channel display on a multimedia presentation system. One implementation, described herein, simultaneously presents video content, audio-based content, and/or electronic program guide (EPG) data of multiple television channels. With this implementation, a user may greatly increase his speed and efficiency when channel surfing. This abstract itself is not intended to limit the scope of this patent. The scope of the present invention is pointed out in the appending claims.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. In a multimedia presentation system, a computer storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, directs a computer to perform a method comprising: concurrently obtaining two or more multimedia streams from one or more sources distinct from the multimedia presentation system, wherein each stream has programming associated therewith and each stream has a source-indicating identifier associated therewith, the source-indicating identifier of each stream identifying its source, each concurrently obtained stream being received by a distinct tuner; acquiring electronic program guide (EPG) data of the programming associated with the streams; concurrently presenting: video content of two or more of the concurrently obtained streams wherein the video content of each concurrently presented stream is part of the programming associated therewith; audio-based content of two or more of the streams, the audio-based content including audible content rendered to a sound device and inaudible closed-captioned text, which is transcribed from the audio content, displayed on a screen, the concurrently presenting audio-based content of two or more of the streams comprises: selecting a first stream having its audible sound rendered in the sound device: displaying a text indicating the first stream that has its audible sound rendered in the sound device in the EPG data; rendering the audible sound of the first stream; and displaying one or more inaudible closed-caption texts associated with the other one or more streams in the associated EPG data; selecting two or more streams having their audible sounds rendered in the sound device: concurrently rendering the audio-based content of two or more streams in distinct speakers; the EPG data of the associated programming of two or more of the concurrently presented streams, wherein the concurrently presented EPG data includes data other than merely the source-indicating identifiers which identify the concurrently presented streams; receiving a change-channel indication; upon receipt of a change-channel indication of incrementing up one channel: repeating the obtaining, acquiring, and presenting with two or more new concurrently obtained multimedia streams; tuning a first stream to a next incrementally higher available channel that was not currently being displayed; and tuning a second and later streams to a corresponding next available channel in sequence, in an event that a stream has reached the highest available channel number, tuning the stream to a channel at a starting position; and upon receipt of a change-channel indication of tuning the first stream to a specific channel: repeating the obtaining, acquiring, and presenting with two or more new concurrently obtained multimedia streams; tuning the first stream to the specific channel; and tuning a second and later streams to a corresponding next available channel in sequence, in an event that a stream has reached the highest available channel number, tuning the stream to a channel at a starting position.
2. A medium as recited in claim 1 , wherein the obtaining comprises tuning to one or more broadcast channels.
3. A medium as recited in claim 1 , wherein the audio-based content of a multimedia stream is selected from a group comprising audible sound from that stream and closed-captioned text from that stream.
4. A medium as recited in claim 1 , wherein the EPG data of the associated programming of a stream is selected from a group comprising includes program titles, ratings, characters, descriptions, actor names, schedule information, network name, and program start and end times.
5. A medium as recited in claim 1 , wherein the presenting comprises visibly displaying and audibly rendering.
6. A medium as recited in claim 1 , wherein the presenting comprises visibly displaying the video content and a textual portion of the audio-based content and audibly rendering an audible portion of the audio-based content.
7. A presentation device comprising: an audio output unit; a visual output unit; a medium as recited in claim 1 .
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 27, 2002
May 4, 2010
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